I got a letter from the governmentThe other dayI opened and read itIt said they were suckersThey wanted me for the army or whateverPicture me given' a damn, I said neverHere is a land that never gave a damnAbout a brother like me and myselfBecause they never didI wasn't wit' it, but just that very minuteIt occurred to meThe suckers had authorityCold sweatin' as I dwell in my cellHow long has it been?They got me sittin' in the state penI gotta get out, but that thought was thought beforeI contemplated a plan on the cell floorI'm not a fugitive on the runBut a brother like me begun, to be another onePublic enemy servin' time, they drew the line y'allTo criticize me some crime, never the lessThey could not understand that I'm a black manAnd I could never be a veteranOn the strength, the situation's unrealI got a raw deal, now I'm lookin' for the steel

(Many switch in, switch on, switch off (Repeat x5))Nevertheless they cannot understand That I'm a black man, and I could never be a veteran.On the strength of situations, I'm real.I got a raw deal, so I'm lookin' for the steelLookin' for the steel.